March 7, 2018 - In the current year theFrench shipping company PONANT celebrates its 30th company anniversary. The company is giving itself a very special gift with two new cruise yachts. In 2020, two more ships from the Ponant Explorer series will be commissioned with the newcomers “Le Bellot” and “Le Surville”.
This means that the Ponant fleet will grow to a total of twelve cruise ships by 2021. The ship park includes a sailing yacht, ten expedition yachts and an icebreaker. By expanding its fleet, the company intends to further expand its position as the world market leader for luxury expedition cruises. From 2021 on, the twelve ships will offer a total of 460 cruises on all of the world's oceans. The focus is on those destinations that are not accessible to larger ships. Examples of such destinations are: the Antarctic, the Arctic, Alaska, the Amazon, the Orinoco, the Îles Éparses ("Scattered Islands in the Indian Ocean"), Kimberley / Australia, Papua New Guinea and even the "Roof of the World", the geographic North Pole and the Northeast Passage.
© The six Ponant explorer ships - © Studio Ponant - Stirling Design International
Like the first four ships in the series, the Le Bellot and Le Surville are being built by the VARD shipyard in Norway, which is part of the Fincantieri group. The new buildings each have only 92 cabins and suites. Each of the guest accommodations has its own balcony. Both ships offer the latest technology. To protect the endangered environment of the target areas, they meet the “CLEANSHIP” conditions of the international classification and certification society Bureau Veritas.
Blue Eye underwater lounge - © Studio Ponant - Stirling Design International
The multi-sensory underwater lounge is a world first on board all six ships Blue Eye The new area is located amidships under the waterline and is accessible to all guests. The shipping company promises unique sensory underwater listening experiences through physical resonance.
